As a freshman, junior government and politics and history major Emily Burke did much of her holiday shopping in the confines of the university’s bookstore.

“The first Christmas you’re in college, you have to get your parents Maryland stuff,” Burke said.

Sophomore special education major Alicia Daubert agreed.

“I got all my family Maryland stuff [last year],” she said.

But both students admitted since their first semester at the university, they have done little, if any, holiday shopping in College Park.

Freshman animal science major Amy Goudreau said she would willingly shop for gifts in College Park “if there was somewhere to go,” reflecting the perception many students have regarding the shopping prospects in the College Park area.

Rugged Wearhouse, the University Book Center and the Maryland Book Exchange aside, several small local businesses call College Park home, offering students a place to purchase a wide array of gifts for the holidays.

Big Planet Comics, located off on Route 1, has a large range of comic books, both new and old, in addition to graphic novels, board games, role playing games, posters, T-shirts and action figures.

Jared Smith, the co-owner of  Big Planet Comics’ Vienna, Va. location, encouraged students to come into the store “’cause it’s fun,” noting the price range on most of its goods is between $3 and $20.

The CD Gamexchange on Lehigh Road not only offers a place to buy, sell and trade new and used CDs and video games, but also other services. The store will transfers LPs and cassettes to a CD for $7.99 an album and sells tickets to shows at Wolftrap and the 9:30 Club and to Washington Nationals games. And while it is primarily a music and video game retailer, the store also sells a variety of posters and T-shirts.

Pandora’s Cube specializes in the Nintendo Wii, but sell games from the days of Atari to today’s Modern Warfare II. In addition to selling new games and systems, the store offers trade-in services open to all systems. Pandora’s Cube also sells anime DVDs and box sets, hentai, manga, key chains, headbands and models.

“We’re close, [we’re] right across from The View, and our used video games are generally cheaper and in better condition than GameStop,” Pandora’s Cube sales associate Lucas Bombart said.

Video Plus, located on Rhode Island Ave., “has the largest selection in adult materials, including toys, in the Washington Metro area,” according to sales associate Jerry Smith.

Offering free parking, easy access from both campus and the metro and friendly and helpful service, Smith said Video Plus is the “best selection at the best price.” DVD sales start at $4.95 and VHS’ at 95 cents. Video Plus will also pay cash for original Hollywood movies in good condition.

Described as a convenience store with a large selection of general merchandise by general manager John Chang, Hollywood Dollar 1 features a wide array of goods at low prices, from beauty products to lottery tickets. Although not everything in Hollywood Dollar 1 costs a buck, such as the Cricket cell phones they sell, sixty to seventy percent of the products are at dollar store prices.

If you’re looking for one, Mighty Healthy Pets has playful holiday gifts for pets back home. The store, an extension of MOM’s Organic Market on Rhode Island Ave., sells organic and environmentally-friendly food, treats and toys for pets.

ga@umdbk.com